Through the Rain
by trizfores
Summary: After being completely shattered and heartbroken by Willoughby, will Marianne ever find a man that truly loves her? A oneshot.


Disclaimer – I am not Jane Austen!

AN – After watching the 1995 movie for the nth time, this is what I imagined the missing scene would be like when Colonel Brandon rescued Marianne that rainy day.

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><p>"Love is not love, which alters when it alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove; O no! It is an ever fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken… Willoughby, oh, Willoughby," Marianne whimpered as she stood overlooking Combe Magna.<p>

The heavens continued to pour heavily from above. It seemed as if they were matching her emotions. The rains were her tears—the countless tears that she had poured out since that awful letter he sent her whilst at London. That letter broke her heart—he broke her heart, shattering it into countless pieces.

It dawned upon Marianne that he never truly loved her. Money is what it was all about, and that was something she didn't have to offer to him or anyone. She always imagined love like in the books she read, and now, everything was shattered.

The reality and pain of it all was making her weak. With unsteady knees, she made her way towards the closest tree, seeking the little shade it had to offer from the cold and cruel rain. Beneath the shade, her knees eventually gave out. On the ground she lay, sobbing and shivering, wishing her world would come to an end.

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><p>Brandon quickened his steps as he made his way to Combe Magna. An hour had passed since he had started searching for her. He wasn't tired as he was used to such physical activity with his many years of service in various battles and missions. Also, he was driven by fear needing to find her. If anything happened, heaven forbid… he wouldn't be able to forgive himself. After searching thoroughly through the Palmer's estate grounds, he then came to the conclusion that Marianne undoubtedly made her way to Combe Magna.<p>

His hatred towards Willoughby grew by tenfold. Hadn't he done enough? Truly, he was the worst of libertines, and he dared not deserve a single bit of happiness, especially from a wonderful lady such as Marianne.

As he closed upon the bastard's home, he saw a figure on the ground beneath the tree. Suddenly, he got on a full run, realizing that the figure was human and that of a woman, curled up in an almost fetal position. With the color of her clothes, he immediately knew that it was Marianne, and he rushed to her side in an instant.

"Miss Marianne!" he gasped. He softly brushed the damp curls away from her face, holding her face gently as he made her look at him. He was slightly relieved to find that she was indeed breathing. "Are you in any pain?"

Marianne clutched a hand to her chest. "It hurts so here," she said in a sob. "So much, so much."

Brandon understood what pain she felt and it was that of heartbreak. But it wasn't the pain that he was inquiring about. He was more worried about any physical injuries that she may have gotten. He pulled her against him sideways as she leaned on him. With his eyes and sure hands, he briefly checked certain areas on her body such as her arms and legs for injuries.

"Christopher…" Marianne shivered.

Brandon felt his heart soar when he heard her call him in such a manner. However, he wished that they were in a different scenario.

"…will I ever find a man that truly loves me?" she asked.

"You will, I promise," Brandon replied, satisfied that she had no physical injuries. Every fiber in his body wanted to tell her that such a man existed. He was the man. He truly loved her. But no, he wouldn't tell her now… and perhaps maybe not at all. "Put your arms about my neck, Miss Marianne. We must get you some place warm."

With Marianne safe in his arms, Brandon quickly made his way back to the Palmer's. Her weight was a sweet burden in his arms. She had never seemed so broken, and he carried her as if he was carrying the most fragile of all crystal glasses. Never had he realized how much she meant to him. He couldn't lose her… Not again.

Once the Palmer's were only a few steps away, he whispered his answer into her ear softly as she was barely conscious. "I promise, Marianne, you will find a man that truly loves you."

Now all he could do was treasure the last moments he had of holding her in such a manner. Perhaps this was the one last and only time he would hold the love of his life close to his heart.

-FIN-

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><p>AN – Of course we all know what happens at the end of the story :) <strong>Review!<strong>


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